Posts by Thomas Roberts3

Carl Rivera43 said:Honestly, some people just lack the strength because they've been through way too much. I know a few people like that, and I don't mind being friendly with them at all.

Getting burned isn't an excuse.

velvetcobra65 said:I suppose I fall into the "cheerful people" category, though if I had to pick, I’d probably land in that first group mentioned by unknown. I’m not superficial; I actually care about people and I try to stay rational. I don't sugarcoat things for anyone—honestly, I'm not even big on nicknames. Lately, though, I haven't been feeling all that happy. I don't fake being bubbly when I'm not, especially since I've dealt with way too much heavy stuff in such a short amount of time lately.
Even so, no matter how down I feel, I can't help but smile at a baby passing by, or give a friendly nod to an elderly neighbor, or genuinely ask someone how they're doing. It isn't because I have to; it's just who I am. And I have zero interest in changing that just because someone else can't wrap their head around the fact that I'm simply not the type of person to hold a grudge against the world. Even when things get brutal, I'll still try to find something positive to smile about.

On the flip side, the second someone tries to get all "sweetie-pie" with me in a professional setting, I immediately shut down. I just don't trust people who act that familiar without having earned it. Or if you're an acquaintance and you start with the whole "Oh my god, you're so precious, so lovely..." routine, only to immediately start trashing someone else? No, thanks! To be honest, I'm not exactly thrilled by people who are constantly messed up or perpetually grumpy for no actual reason. I mean, whatever—anyone can be unhappy, angry, or irritated sometimes... but not for years on end.
I really think life would be a lot simpler and a whole lot better if we just realized that life isn't some endless valley of misery. There are usually more reasons to smile than there are to walk around acting like everyone on the street personally ruined your entire life.

Everyone’s dealing with something; it’s just the people who refuse to let it sink them who carry a smile through life and figure out how to handle their business.
All those people who are constantly grumpy? They just don't have the strength to change it. Probably don't even have the will.

It's nice to say hi to the old lady next door 😁
Even if it sounds like a cliché, it really is.

How can you even call it positive if it’s straight-up fake? That’s not being positive, it's just lying. You can totally feel the phoniness in it. Why on earth would anyone count that as a win? Or a positive?

silverhawk9 said:To be honest, I find people who fake being positive way less aggravating than those constant grumps. It feels like there’s just an overwhelming number of bitter, angry people out there who go out of their way to hunt for flaws in everything. They don't just dwell on their own misery, either; they actively try to convince everyone else that they shouldn't be happy, too—as if being dissatisfied is some kind of virtue.

Now, don't get me wrong, I wouldn't call myself a ray of sunshine all the time, though I certainly make an effort to stay upbeat. But I really do value being surrounded by people with a good outlook. It just feels like there's far too much negativity woven into the fabric of our society these days.

I feel you, man. There is just way too much toxic energy everywhere you turn. It’s constant.
It’s actually getting hard to grab a coffee or hang out with anyone without the conversation turning into a vent session about how terrible everything is.
Ran into an old childhood friend yesterday and we just hit it off instantly. It was so refreshing to finally have a chat that didn't revolve around someone being broke, complaining about politics, or whining about needing to move to another state because things are better elsewhere—all the usual garbage I hear every single day.
Finally...
That was exactly what I needed. Just an hour or two of not talking about soul-crushing stuff. Felt like a total mental reset.

I feel like everyone’s dealing with this, honestly; you can tell by how high-strung people are and just how much they're struggling to catch a break.

The guy who stays clean always comes out on top in the end. I honestly think once the lights go out and you're just stuck alone with your own head, being a total piece of trash makes it impossible to live with yourself.
Inner peace is basically the payout for not being a complete jerk. It’s a massive win.

crimsonharbor72 said:Just to add one more thing.
Sometimes I get this nagging feeling that I’m just not ready to grow up. It’s almost a fear, really—the older I get, the more these heavy life situations seem to pile up on me.
The absolute best years of my life were when I was five or six, and honestly, if I could find a way to go back to those days, I’d do it in a heartbeat.

I think that’s why I resist being a full-fledged adult; there’s this deep longing for that time when everything at home was taken care of, and my only responsibility was simply being a kid.
It’s been difficult trying to process everything I’ve been through, especially when I look around and see people living lives that are so much better than mine. I haven't done anything to deserve this constant string of bad luck.

I truly dream of just moving far away from nearly everyone, finding a little house somewhere quiet, and living a peaceful life on my own terms. The more setbacks I face, the more I find myself withdrawing from people. They just feel exhausting, and if I’m being honest, I even feel a sense of envy toward some of them—not because of what they own, but because they have a kind of stability and fulfillment that I feel I'll never reach. At this point, I struggle to function in the modern world as we know it. This frantic, urban lifestyle feels suffocating, and it’s often what triggers my panic attacks.

Running away from your fears and problems isn't a recipe for happiness, and it definitely isn't a solution to them.

crimsonharbor72 said:I appreciate all the input here.

The real issue is that I’ll have to head back to campus soon. It means moving back into a city where I don't actually live just to sit through lectures. Honestly, the studying part isn't what worries me; I can handle books. It’s the idea of being squeezed into a crowded lecture hall that triggers this low-level anxiety. And if I end up in a situation where I have to stand up and give a presentation in front of a massive auditorium? I think I might genuinely collapse. I wasn't always like this, but things took a turn about a year ago. I spiraled into a pretty heavy depression for about six months. I managed to pull myself out of it—barely—with the help of one specific person (which is important context for what comes next). For half a year, things were finally peaceful. Then, tragedy struck. I lost a family member, and just a few weeks later, I was hit with intense panic attacks, involving that same person who helped me through the first wave.

It just leveled me. Since then, I’ve struggled to be around people or engage in what I consider mindless small talk. I have no desire to dump my problems onto others and be a burden, but at the same time, how am I supposed to care about someone screaming at you because they picked the wrong shade of hair dye when you can barely see the difference?

I talked to my dad about school, and he’s pushing me to go. His logic is that the worst-case scenario is that I just end up shutting myself in the house, isolating from everyone, and living in total solitude.
He doesn't quite grasp that isolation actually feels right to me. He’s my complete opposite; he thrives on being around people.

That's not "working for you," you're just running from your problems. Figure out how to actually deal with them. Also, you still have plenty of options, so try to stop spiraling and start thinking positively—instead of just wallowing, tell yourself, "things suck right now, I'm fixing them, and eventually, I'll be fine."😉

My whole vibe is pretty simple: show up for my people, stay out of everyone else's way, and pass on the good vibes whenever I can. Just trying to respect myself, own who I am, and soak up every single day while staying clear on what I actually want and need from life.

You’re doing way too much philosophizing just to cover up the fact that you're basically just bragging. It’s all empty talk if you haven't put in the actual blood and sweat—no grind, no results. 😉

Honestly, Time is easily the best thing to ever come out of the American rock scene. That first album is legendary—someone actually wrote "Za koji zivot treba da se rodim" as the American version of Child in Time.



this is definitely worth a watch.

Time is ancient history and should stay that way, honestly. Dada is a total joke of a musician who hasn't done anything since Time and probably never will—I mean, Time was the absolute peak of American rock, and there's just no debating that.
Vedran Bozic put together a CD/DVD tribute to J. H. that you seriously need to grab and listen to, because it sounds incredible 😉

Hey, can you change my username from Thomas Roberts3 to Applause? Thanks.

Nope.

VINYL RECORDS:
21 singles
Safet Isović - Ne vjeruj joj jarane - Bosno moja
Gordana Stojičević - Volim jednog, ljubim dva - Kad nestane ljubav nestaje i sreća
Ana Štefok - Ako voliš tu pjesmu - Malo mira
Erol Mlakar - Pleši i pjevaj - Prva ljubavi
Novi fosili - Oko moje - Remember
Novi fosili - Nemaš više vremena za mene - Najdraže moje
Srebrna krila - Ljubio sam Nadu u studentskom gradu - Šesnaest godina
Srebrna krila - Ja nisam kockar - Volio sam Tanju
Srebrna krila - Razglednica iz provincije
Srebrna krila - Zakuni se ljubavi - Bilo mi je teško, bilo mi je žao
Muharem u haremu - Otkad ljubav tiho minu - Više neću da te volim
Opatijski suveniri - Dobro ti more mornaru dragi - Čekat ću te draga
Grupa 777 - Pačji ples - A gdje si ti
Zana - Pričalica - Majstor za poljupce
Zlatko Pejaković - Zaboravi Espanju - Daleko od očiju, daleko od srca
Ivo Fabijan - A ča piješ kad ti škodi - Otvori, Marija, vrata
Dalmatinski magazin - Moje milo - Sjećanja
Milo Hrnić - Vrati se - Nek' parti brod
Nada Obrić - Ne dozvoli da te druga voli - O, suze moje
Mišo Kovač - Noćas ćemo zemlji ko materi reći - Slijetale su lastavice
Ljupka - Mala bjonda - Maestral
Radimo složno - Jugoslavijo

25 LPs
Culture Club - Colour by numbers
Queen - The works
Michael Jackson - Thriller

Kemal Monteno - Dolly Bell
Vajta - Veliki uspjesi - 14 hitova
Vajta - Tebi pjevam
Darko Domijan - Put u raj
Darko Domijan - Ruže u snijegu
Srebrna krila - Šalala
Srebrna krila - Zadnja ploča
Srebrna krila - Sreo sam ljubav iz prve pjesne
Nada Obrić - Pogledaj me ti u oči
Ljupka i Ivica - U dvoje je ljepše
Novi fosili - Budi uvijek blizu
Marinko Rokvić
Novica Negovanović - Prođe leto trideseto
Zdravko Čolić - Ako priđeš bliže
Nedžad Salković - Ne klepeći nanulama
Sejo Pitić - Bosanac
Miroslav Ilić - Ova noć
Miroslav Ilić - Pozdravi je, pozdravi
Šaban Šaulić - Najveći hitovi
Rokeri s Moravu - Svoji najnoviji svecki hitsovi
Daniel Popović - Bio sam naivan (Džuli)
Mišo Kovač - Jači od vjetra

Selling these records; they're from an older lady's home collection and are actually in pretty decent shape.
$17 Everything listed here is being sold as one big lot. I can send photos if you ask.
Shoot me a PM.

You’re overthinking everyone else and trying way too hard to be liked by everybody. Honestly, just let the people who actually matter touch your soul with their actions and words—if they care, it counts. There's always going to be jerks out there, and the world is never gonna run the perfect way you think it should. Just adapt to reality, hang with the crew that actually gives a damn about you, and enjoy your life.

I hope he finds whatever peace is out there, because man, what a massive loss for American music. He left such a huge mark on the scene. R. I. P. Frank Sinatra.

Look, I’m putting myself out there to help anyone who needs it, whether you just need some solid advice or if there's something actual stuff I can do for you. I'm not looking for anything in return.

If there are any other people out there who want to jump in and help me build a little crew, we could actually make a massive difference for others. 👍

Just a heads up though, I have zero interest in joining any official volunteer organizations; I've never been one for religious groups or those organized volunteer setups where you're basically paying taxes to the government—I'd much rather just help people on a personal level or if a few of us get together to tackle something. I've got nothing but free time, so why not 🙂

Shoot me a PM.

Steven Sanchez77 said:I don't think Dio is such an untouchable vocalist by today's standards. I was spinning a few of his later albums recently and he’s basically running the same routine, just recycling the same stuff over and over. I wouldn't go overboard praising his vocals. Sure, he's got a voice, but is it actually smart, wide, or creative? In my book, not really.

The Dio era in Rainbow and Black Sabbath was killer, but mostly because the lineup behind him was insane—Ritchie Blackmore and Iommi were dropping legendary riffs and those tracks were absolute gold. Personally, his solo career doesn't quite hit the same heights as Black Sabbath or Rainbow for me, even if there are some gems in there. He sings great there too and the lyrics are usually interesting, but what kills me is the backing bands in the Dio band. To me, they always felt totally uninspired and lacked any real creativity.

So, the Dio band always felt like a bit of a slog to listen to. If I had to agree with your point, I'd say he was more the guy who stepped into the right spot at exactly the right time (like when Rainbow formed, everyone was just waiting to see what Blackmore would cook up next, or when Ozzy left Black Sabbath and fans were starving for something fresh). Just like how he crushed it in Rainbow, someone like Ian Gillan or David Coverdale could have done the exact same thing, like they did back in the day with Ritchie Blackmore in Deep Purple. Or in Black Sabbath, you had Ozzy or later Martin, who I honestly think is way underrated and actually better than Dio.

I never put Dio on a pedestal, but I'll give him credit for all the killer performances and those massive songs he carried, and mostly just for being a good guy with a huge heart. 🙂